The GBA Four Swords isn't completely comparable to the GCN game (Hyrule Adventure). I would say that having more people is less necessary to the fun quotient of the GCN game than the GBA one; I've been having almost as good a time playing it single-player as with a friend. Granted, I haven't had the chance to play with more than one other person yet; my problem is not the lack of friends with GBAs and link cables but the fact that no two of them live within 50 miles of each other or me.
One difference which may or may not be a big deal to you is that unlike the GBA game the environments are fixed. You can go back and replay past levels at any time, but they're always the same levels (although there are minor differences if you're playing single-player rather than multi). A couple other noteworthy differences are that the number of Forces collected by each player is always visible, making the competition less obvious and that there are always four Links on the screen, with "extras" being picked up by the actual players, who can move them individually, keep them in formation, or default to conga-line where you're only really using the one in front.
On the topic of using the GBA or not...Hyrule Adventure is completely playable single-player *without* a GBA. When you're using the GCN controller, a subscreen shows up in the middle of the screen showing what would appear on the GBA if you were using one. (This also shows in the four-player mode if the other characters are trying to walk off the screen and one person is lagging behind because of being on a GBA screen -- that person's GBA action is shown on the main screen for the mockery of all.) This is my preferred one-player mode, but it does block out the "overworld" main screen...and things do continue to happen on the big screen while your Link is on the GBA. However, in one-player you can also press the Z button to hide the GBA screen. You get rumble from things like the Hammer or the Pegasus Boots, too.
A lot of people have been complaining about the need to use a GBA in multiplayer. I must say that the game as it is WOULD NOT WORK with multiple people all on the big screen! The GBA is used far more extensively than in, say FFCC. Any time a single Link goes into a house, cave, hole in the ground, underwater in some cases...the action transfers to the GBA for that person, while other players are still wandering around. Sometimes the two interact. The 2D-based graphics lend themselves very nicely to these switches, by the way.
By the way, one feature of Navi Trackers is voice synthesis; you can pick out a two-syllable name and Tetra will use it as she narrates the action like a sports announcer. This is one thing I don't think would transfer so well. It really is a shame that it won't be coming, since I'd like to know what she and the other pirates (and that weird guy who runs the Battleship game in WW) are all *saying* but given all of the voice that must be in it I'm not all that surprised. I've only played that one one-player; you can play completely solo or with Tingle as an opponent (you set his speed, or something like that). I'm looking forward to playing that one with at least one other person. Kind of a shame that all the action really happens on the GBAs, but it's no stranger than the Four Swords GBA game, I suppose.
Shadow Battle, the deathmatch game, didn't do much for us two-player and really needs three or four. There were some cute things in it, but the playing arenas are quite small and it's easy enough to avoid each other with just two. However it looked like it might be a lot of fun with three or four.
Slashdot Mirror
One difference which may or may not be a big deal to you is that unlike the GBA game the environments are fixed. You can go back and replay past levels at any time, but they're always the same levels (although there are minor differences if you're playing single-player rather than multi). A couple other noteworthy differences are that the number of Forces collected by each player is always visible, making the competition less obvious and that there are always four Links on the screen, with "extras" being picked up by the actual players, who can move them individually, keep them in formation, or default to conga-line where you're only really using the one in front.
On the topic of using the GBA or not...Hyrule Adventure is completely playable single-player *without* a GBA. When you're using the GCN controller, a subscreen shows up in the middle of the screen showing what would appear on the GBA if you were using one. (This also shows in the four-player mode if the other characters are trying to walk off the screen and one person is lagging behind because of being on a GBA screen -- that person's GBA action is shown on the main screen for the mockery of all.) This is my preferred one-player mode, but it does block out the "overworld" main screen...and things do continue to happen on the big screen while your Link is on the GBA. However, in one-player you can also press the Z button to hide the GBA screen. You get rumble from things like the Hammer or the Pegasus Boots, too.
A lot of people have been complaining about the need to use a GBA in multiplayer. I must say that the game as it is WOULD NOT WORK with multiple people all on the big screen! The GBA is used far more extensively than in, say FFCC. Any time a single Link goes into a house, cave, hole in the ground, underwater in some cases...the action transfers to the GBA for that person, while other players are still wandering around. Sometimes the two interact. The 2D-based graphics lend themselves very nicely to these switches, by the way.
By the way, one feature of Navi Trackers is voice synthesis; you can pick out a two-syllable name and Tetra will use it as she narrates the action like a sports announcer. This is one thing I don't think would transfer so well. It really is a shame that it won't be coming, since I'd like to know what she and the other pirates (and that weird guy who runs the Battleship game in WW) are all *saying* but given all of the voice that must be in it I'm not all that surprised. I've only played that one one-player; you can play completely solo or with Tingle as an opponent (you set his speed, or something like that). I'm looking forward to playing that one with at least one other person. Kind of a shame that all the action really happens on the GBAs, but it's no stranger than the Four Swords GBA game, I suppose.
Shadow Battle, the deathmatch game, didn't do much for us two-player and really needs three or four. There were some cute things in it, but the playing arenas are quite small and it's easy enough to avoid each other with just two. However it looked like it might be a lot of fun with three or four.